100-point Wine & Food Dinner

 

1-course: Cured Salmon Mosaic, Spiced Orange, Cherry Salsa, Herb Salad
served with Aubert 2016 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard Sonoma Coast California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
Leading off the Pinot Noirs, this is unquestionably the finest set of releases from the estate I’ve ever tasted, and it appears some of the magic Mark finds with his Chardonnays is finding its way over to the Pinot Noirs. The 2016 Pinot Noir UV Vineyard is 100% Calera clone (which reportedly comes from Vosne-Romanée) from a site in the Sonoma Coast and was brought up in 60-70% new French oak. It also saw around 10-20% whole clusters. Incredible ripe cherries, strawberries, exotic spices, blood orange, and floral notes all soar from this transparently colored, multi-dimensional, layered Pinot Noir that has no hard edges, ultra-fine tannin, and a finish that just won’t quit. It’s the finest Pinot Noir ever made from this address. SP7-4

 

2-Course: Pepper Seared Ahi Tuna Rice Cracker, Raspberry, Sweet Soy
served with Saxum 2022 Cayucos Ridge Vineyard Syrah San Luis Obispo
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
The second vintage from this cool site just beside the Pacific, the 2022 Cayucos Ridge Vineyard is 100% Syrah, fermented with 43% whole clusters and aged 34 months in 68% new French oak (225-liter and 300-liter barrels). Spicy red and black fruits, California bay, pepper, sandalwood, and sage all emerge from this incredibly complete and complex wine. Medium to fullbodied, it’s layered, pure, and seamless, with ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and flawless balance. It’s an absolutely magical, singular wine that tops out my scale. I love it today, yet it should have 15-20 years of prime drinking. SP18-1

 

3-Course: Short Rib Sugo Orrecheitte, Smoked Parmesan Crema, Gremolata
served with: Andremily 2021 Syrah No 10 Central Coast California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
The 2021 No 10 checks in as 93% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, and 2% Viognier that was raised in 65% new French oak for 22 months. It shows that classic 2021 focus and purity, with darker berry and cassis-like fruits intermixed with ground pepper, sandalwood, violets, and smoky, meaty nuances. With full-bodied richness, it’s incredibly concentrated and has ultra-fine tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This absolutely heavenly red from the genius of Jim Binns tops out my scale. It should benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and have over two decades of ultimate longevity. R38-6

 

4-Course: Grilled Lamb Chop, Mint Chimichurri, Blistered Sweet Pepper Romesco Sauce
served with: Immortal Estate 2016 Impassible Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
A smaller selection and also all Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2016 Impassible Mountain (28 months in 85% new French oak) offers more of everything and is a magical, blockbuster, yet ethereal styled Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma. With a kaleidoscopic array of crème de cassis, sagebrush, tobacco, cedar pencil, and awesome minerality, it has incredible concentration, full-bodied richness, and a skyscraper-like mouthfeel, yet it also stays weightless, elegant, and flawlessly balanced. There are few estates coming close to this level of quality in Sonoma with Cabernet Sauvignon, and if you want to taste pure perfection from Sonoma, try this wine! It’s still a baby, and I suspect it will need 8-10 years to hit maturity, but it's going to evolve for 30-40 years. R16-3

 

5-Course: Grilled Filet Mignon, Butternut Squash Puree, Swiss Chard, Raisin, Pistachio
served with: Spottswoode 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley California
Wine Advocate 100 Rating
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 4.0% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs of lot of swirling to unlock the most gorgeous perfume of bright black and red cherries, fresh blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of roses, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Medium-bodied, elegant and tightly wound, the palate shimmers with SO MUCH energy, featuring layer upon layer of floral, savory and crunchy black fruit notes, finishing long and minerally. This is a remarkably poised, seemingly effortless beauty that cannot fail to make your jaw drop. Forget it in the cellar for a good 3-5 years, at least, to allow all those nuances to fully emerge and then savor it over the next 30 years+. R22-3 SP30-2

 

6-Course: Chocolate Brown Butter Rice Crispy Bar
served with: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2021 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley California
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Rating
Aged 21 months in new barrels, the tiny production 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 23 is brooding and inward yet has incredible purity in its darker currant and cassis-like fruit as well as subtle smoked tobacco, crushed stone, liquid violet, and graphite-driven nuances. These carry to a deep, layered, sensationally concentrated Cabernet that has sweet yet building tannins, a seamless mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It needs to be hidden for a decade if you can, but this is a legend in the making and will have 50+ years or more overall longevity if well stored. For the technical geeks out there, the alcohol is 14.8% and its pH is 3.72. SP11-6

 

 

 

Questions? Text me at 941-404-9685